Trials Of The Heart: Part 1
by Sibyll Trelawney
Summary: Well, well, well. Looks like I've turned this into a series. This is about Minerva McGonagall and her life. The first few scenes are definatley MM/AD. Sorry if you don't like them... it's just background stuff with them anyway. Enjoy.
1. Disclaimer and Author's Notes

Disclaimer: I do not (unfortunately) own any of the characters that you will read about in this fan fiction. So I get nothing out of this, although if you want to give me something for all my hard work, email me. I do not take credit cards or cash only reviews. I have made up most of the characters that were around when McGonagall was at school. Malachi Sinistra I've put in as Professor Sinistra's older brother.  
  
Author's Note: I set this story from chapter thirty-two onwards in Order of the Phoenix. It follows Professor's Dumbledore and McGonagall. But mainly McGonagall seeing as this is only under her name. Of course most people will remember that McGonagall got hit with four stunners in chapter thirty- one so she doesn't have much to say in the first bit. I'll get on with it now. Let me know what you think, even if you hate it.  
  
IMPORTANT! MUST BE READ BEFORE CONTINUATION! There might be a character death, Or at least severe injury. 


	2. Ch1: St Mungo's

There was silence along the corridors of St Mungo's. Most of the patients had seen her being levitated through on a bed. Rumors where spreading over what had happened. Being a Hogwarts professor everyone knew who she was. It hadn't been long until the news had spread from the fourth floor of the hospital. Soon everyone knew Minerva McGonagall was lying unconscious in a private room on the fourth floor. Spell Damages.  
  
Although it was well past visiting hours no one could be bothered to check that all the visitors had left. So although the private room was dark and Minerva was still unconscious, the two figures that had been hiding under an invisibility cloak all day were finally able to come out of hiding. A comfortable armchair appeared next to the bed and Albus Dumbledore sat down slowly on the edge of the seat. He took hold of Minerva's hand and kissed it gently. Fawkes perched himself on the other side of the bed and slowly moved his glowing wing across McGonagall's forehead. It almost seemed as though he was a parent tending to a sick child. "Fawkes, she will be okay." Dumbledore smiled towards the phoenix. Fawkes nodded his agreement and took it as his cue to leave.  
  
Minerva lay motionless as Albus sat next to her. "I don't know if you can hear me Min, but I wanted to say I'm sorry." He knew she had been upset when he left Hogwarts but he had to go. "I shouldn't have left you in the hands of that woman. She'll pay for this Minerva. I love you too much to let this go." 


	3. Ch2: Minerva's Thoughts

It was dark. No matter what way she turned Minerva couldn't see a thing. But she could feel something soft around her right hand. Something smooth moved across her head. There was talking somewhere, but where. It was Albus. She wanted to cry at what he was saying. She wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault. But she couldn't. Minerva tried to move towards the sound of his voice, but each step she took seemed as though her feet were weighted down with concrete. 'Don't do anything stupid Albus' She thought to herself. 


	4. Ch3: The Love That Binds

Something stirred inside Albus' mind. It was almost as if he was being warned not to do anything rash until everything was over. His conscious was trying to tell him that he should stay in hiding like he planned to. Minerva's misfortune should not ruin his plans. "Minerva can you hear me?" He felt her hand stiffen under his and her fingers slowly moved to squeeze his hand gently. "Minerva? One Squeeze for yes two for no. Do you understand?" Nothing happened. Just as Albus was about to pass it off as his imagination Minerva's had clasped on to his and then let go. Albus smiled. She was going to be okay after all. The sun was coming up outside the window and Albus realised it was time for him to go. "I have to go now, but I promise I will be back later." Minerva squeezed his hand again. "I love you." He said and kissed her forehead. She squeezed his hand one last time before he let go and apparated to his hideout. 


	5. Ch4: Watch Over Him

Six days passed and Minerva was starting to get annoyed with the healers in St Mungo's. They had informed her that she would have to stay another week just so they knew that she was back to her old self again. She was perfectly fine. Sure she still couldn't walk and she was still having trouble stringing sentences together but other then that she was perfectly fine. A sharp pain vibrated through her rib cage as she tried to sit up. Okay so maybe she wasn't perfectly fine!  
  
"Albus, I." She thought for a moment, trying her best to say the full sentence. But then she gave up. "Home." Albus stepped out of the shadows and took her hand.  
  
"You have to wait until the healers say you are okay to go back to Hogwarts Minerva." She grimaced slightly. He could seen the pain in her eyes grow deeper every night he came. She needed to be back at the school. "Think of it this way, You need all your strength to go back and give Umbridge the boot." They both laughed.  
  
"Funny." Minerva managed to say before the pain of her laughter kicked in.  
  
"You need to rest, my love." Albus whispered as he kissed her cheek. "I love you." He smiled.  
  
"Bit. late. now." Minerva sadly smiled. "Needed. words. thirty. two. years." Albus put his fingers to her lips before she could continue.  
  
"We need to save that conversation for when you have the strength to talk properly." She kissed his fingers and he smiled. "I have to go early tonight. Something important needs to be taken care of." He turned to leave but Minerva grabbed his hand. She uttered three little words before she fell asleep. The one's he had expected she had longed to say for awhile.  
  
"Watch. Harry. please." 


	6. Ch5: Back in Action

QUICK NOTE: I'm really sorry about the short chapters guys and gals. I have been trying to get the short chapters up quick as possible. There is a fairly long chapter coming up so. Anyway I'm really sorry about it. I wrote the whole thing out at once and had bars in between each scene change. So. once again I'm really sorry!  
  
It felt so good to be out in the fresh air after the stuffiness of St Mungo's. Minerva leaned on her walking stick and smiled as she saw the one boy she had been thinking about all week. Harry Potter at the door to the Entrance Hall as Minerva got to the steps. Professor Snape was there, obviously attempting to take points away from Gryffindor as per usual.  
  
"Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hour-glass to take away. In that case, Potter, we will simply have to -" Minerva walked into the room and cut Snape off,  
  
"Add some more?" Minerva devilishly smiled. It was good to be back. 


	7. Ch6: When Friends Fall

The night before the end of term Minerva sat at the staff table watching all the children file back in to finish their meals after watching Peeves chase after Professor Umbridge with her walking stick and a sock full of chalk. The children laughed as they saw Peeves float in over their heads and hand back Minerva's walking stick.  
  
"Thankyou very much Peeves." She smiled as she lay the walking stick against the table.  
  
"Pleasure doing business with you Professor." He chuckled and blew her a kiss.  
  
"I suppose this won't stop you from writing obscenities on the board in my classroom." She raised an eyebrow in his direction.  
  
"Of course it won't." Peeves winked. "But I won't destroy any of the professors classrooms until everyone's back from break." He floated off down the hall leaving Minerva alone waiting for the faculty to return to their seats. Albus sat to her left and smiled reassuringly to her. They hadn't had a chance to talk to each together since she got back from the hospital. Madame Hooch sat down to Minerva's right and started up a conversation.  
  
"How are you feeling Minerva?" She asked as she levitated the potato salad towards her.  
  
"Oh, much better thankyou Harriett. I have to go back to the Healers next week so they can look at my leg."  
  
"Is that old Quidditch injury still playing up on you?"  
  
"You still remember that!" Minerva looked at her surprised.  
  
"Of course Nerve, that would have to have been the worst fall in the history of Hogwarts Quidditch." Harriett smiled. "You were so high up, I for one thought you were a goner."  
  
"Gee thanks Etty." Minerva muttered sarcastically. "It's nice to know my friends were already planning my funeral."  
  
"I wasn't." Professor Trelawney quickly put in before going back to her discussion with Professor Flitwick.  
  
"Thanks Sib." Minerva laughed. "Well, if Professor Lewis had have pulled Malachi Sinistra out for his behavior earlier on in the game it wouldn't have happened."  
  
"Even though Lewis was siding with the Slytherin team. I'm sure if you hadn't have been knocked off your broom, William would have." This didn't seem to effect Harriett in anyway, but Minerva had never heard anything about someone else on the Gryffindor Quidditch team being a target.  
  
"What? Why would William have been knocked off his broom instead of me?" Harriett stared at her dumbfounded.  
  
"You didn't know?" Minerva shook her head. "I think everyone just thought you knew. A couple of us overheard Malachi and his gang talking about you going out with William, and Malachi was really angry."  
  
"Why would he be angry?" Minerva interrupted.  
  
"He thought he was in love with you." Sibyll turned and joined in the conversation, seeing as Flitwick was talking to someone else. "His exact words were," She cleared her throat and in a perfect Irish accent imitated Malachi. "If I can't have Minerva then there's definitely no way that William Potter is going to get her."  
  
"Really? Malachi Sinistra loved me." Minerva blushed a little and managed a cheeky schoolgirl grin.  
  
"Come off it Nerve. Every boy in the school loved you." Sibyll laughed.  
  
"Little miss perfect they thought you were. One of the first girls to play Quidditch."  
  
"I wouldn't say that Etty. I know for a fact that a certain Jonathan Pettigrew had a thing for you, and you were always the love of Oscar Lupin's life." Harriett was shocked. "You remember the fight they had Sibyll?"  
  
"Oh yes, ghastly. A week before the Yule Ball and Jonathan just wouldn't accept that you were going with Oscar. So they had a good old fashioned duel." Sibyll sighed. "So romantic."  
  
"I bet it doesn't beat when Cecil Black asked you to the Yule Ball in our last year." Both Minerva and Harriett giggled like schoolgirls.  
  
"You promised you wouldn't bring that up again." Sibyll whined.  
  
"He took you to Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlor even though he hated Ice Cream." Harriett smiled as Sibyll's cheeks turned a bright shade of red.  
  
"And when someone gave you a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans he cut them all in half and tested them so you wouldn't have to eat those sickening things." Minerva couldn't stop her self from laughing. "And he went green because all up he'd eaten three sardine flavored, half an ear wax and seven vomits." Both women were in fits of laughter, which seemed to have caught the attention of many people in the hall. Sibyll stood from her place at the table.  
  
"And he did it all because you two put him up to it." Minerva and Harriett went deadly quiet.  
  
"It was only a bit of fun Sib. Remember you and I did it to Oscar too." Minerva said, trying to calm Sibyll down so that the whole hall wouldn't end up watching the fiasco.  
  
"So it was you two that told him I was allergic to roses and Kalame perfume." Harriett exclaimed as she sat in bewilderment. "Well it figures."  
  
"You spoiled everything Minerva. He was starting to think I was too complicated. Then you had to go and tell him I couldn't go to the holiday feast at Hogsmeade with him, because I had to stay with my muggle grandfather while I cleared my head of all the bad energy I'd picked up in the last few days!" Tears were pouring down Sibyll's cheeks as she screamed at Minerva. Only a few students still hadn't taken any notice of the scene occurring at the front of the hall. The rest sat eagerly waiting to see where it would lead. Sibyll walked, quite fast, around the staff table and down the center of the hall towards the doors.  
  
"I'm sorry Sibyll I didn't realise." Minerva was cut short as Sibyll spun on her heel and glared back up at the deputy headmistress.  
  
"There's a lot of things you don't realise Minerva." Everyone was watching them, whispering, wondering what was wrong. "You didn't realise the Black family hate muggles. You didn't realise that you were pulling away the first man I ever loved. And you didn't even think to realise that Harriett and I would have gladly helped you out if you had have told us William was beating you!" The whole room fell silent. The pure shock of what Sibyll had just said was enough to scare the wits out of anyone. Minerva stood at the staff table staring down at Sibyll. Her full body weight on the table instead of her walking stick and tears welling up in her eyes. Sibyll had continued to walk towards the doors but Minerva pulled out her wand and pointed straight at her back.  
  
"STUPE." Sibyll spun around, wand in hand,  
  
"EXPELLIARMUS!" She shouted and Minerva sharply fell backwards into her chair letting her wand slide across the floor behind the teachers. "You think my ability's that bad that I wouldn't see you about to do that?" Minerva sat up properly and gave Sibyll one of her annoyed glares. "I thought maybe you were a bit dumb to leave your son forty years ago, but now." Sibyll let the words hang there.  
  
"Accio wand." Minerva whispered as she stood up slowly with the aid of her stick. "You know I had no choice, Sibyll. William would have hunted me down if I took James with me." Everyone was listening as Minerva spoke. " He would have told the ministry that I was trying to kill him or something along those lines. And for someone with your ability you should have known that. He had enough evidence to make it seem as though I had killed my own daughter." She spat out. "Serpensortia." A long snake flew down the aisle and landed a meter away from Sibyll's feet. Everyone knew that she had a strong fear of snakes, she even had to will herself into the great hall when Slytherin's banners where up.  
  
"Merlin's beard." Sibyll shrieked as she slowly moved backwards. She tripped over as she passed Ron, Harry and Hermoine and landed on her back. The snake moved closer and closer to her and she cried out as it hissed at her.  
  
"I can't let this go on." Harry muttered as he flung his legs over the seat and stood between the snake and it's prey. Sibyll scampered behind Harry and stayed there.  
  
"Don't let it get me, please it's going to kill me!" She muttered. The whole school was reminded of when she lost her job and she was seen wandering around the school drunk and muttering wildly just like she was now.  
  
"Hiisssseash Haaaleeeeaashhhh." Harry hissed and the snake slowly moved towards Harry, stopping at his feet. "Hiiiiashhhhh Haaaallleessshhh" Harry took out his wand waved it over the snake and it vanished. Sibyll was back on her feet in no time.  
  
"Thankyou Harry." She smiled and then turned to Minerva. "Maybe that's a sign Min. You should think about what you've down and what you need to do." She sneered.  
  
"If it's all the same to you SIB, I'll do what I want without your stupid signs." In an instant they had both raised their wands but Harry stood between them. "Sit down Harry."  
  
"No, I won't let this go on any longer." Harry crossed his arms.  
  
"For once Harry, do what you are asked to and sit back down." Minerva glared at him. Harry didn't move. Harriett and Albus both tried their best to calm Minerva down but Sibyll didn't help the situation.  
  
"Face it Minerva, you're losing it now, now that the whole school knows your story. You're all."  
  
"That's enough Trelawney!" someone yelled. Harry turned around and was shocked by what he saw. Draco Malfoy stood at the Slytherin table with his wand out. But that wasn't the only thing that shocked Harry. "Harry's right this shouldn't continue." Not only had Draco agreed but also he used Harry's first name.  
  
"Both of you stay out of this." Both teachers yelled at them. Draco levitated himself over to where Harry stood and smiled slightly at him.  
  
"You'll have to go through us if you want this to continue." Sibyll had moved back away from the two boys and had her wand ready to strike, which was a big mistake. The two boys were only feet away from the staff table and Minerva had decided she could easily hit Sibyll with a spell without hurting the boys. Harriett leapt to her feet.  
  
"Minerva, leave it be now." She pleaded but to no avail.  
  
"No, that wench isn't going to get away so easily." At this Sibyll and Minerva both raised their wands.  
  
Everything seemed to move so slowly. Harry and Draco both looked from one professor to the other. They wouldn't do something that could harm them surely. But there was a change in both women. It was visible in their eyes. Something else had been released with their tears. They were full of pain and anger. There was aloud 'crack' from both wands and a loud shout as Harriett jumped up onto the table and dived down, knocking the boys over. A scream arose from Minerva and Sibyll as Harriett intercepted both their spells and fell to the ground. 


	8. Ch7: The New Alliance

Harry got up onto his knees, "Madame Hooch?" he shook her shoulder gently but nothing happened. Draco rolled her onto her back and held her wrist, trying his best to feel for a pulse. Albus had ordered the prefects to take the students back to their common rooms and go to bed. "Have you got a pulse Draco?" Harry asked looking at the boy that was once his enemy.  
  
"Yes." Draco suddenly smiled. "It's weak but it's better then nothing."  
  
Sinistra and Sprout had escorted Minerva and Sibyll back to their rooms. Albus had informed the two that they were not to leave the two witches alone at any point until he came to talk to them.  
  
Madame Pomfrey sat down next to the two boys and started to examine Harriett. "I think the two of you should head back to you common rooms now."  
  
"But we want to stay with Madame Hooch." Draco stated. "We want to make sure she's okay." Harry stood up and put a hand lightly on Draco's shoulder.  
  
"We better leave Draco. We can check on her before we leave, can't we Madame Pomfrey?"  
  
"Of course you can boys." With that Harry and Draco walked together out of the Great Hall.  
  
"Draco?" Harry said before they split up.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why did you help me out? I mean it's not as though we're the best of friends." Draco nodded.  
  
"I felt as though I owed you something Harry. After all you did get rid of my father for me. And I guess I did that so you'd know from now on I'm behind one hundred per cent." Draco and Harry laughed and said goodnight. It was good to know Harry didn't have to worry about seeing Draco around the school anymore. 


	9. Ch8: Catching up with Sinistra and The E...

Minerva sat in her armchair and stared at the fireplace. The red flames reflected in her glasses, dancing merrily to a silent tune. Professor Sinistra had made her a hot chocolate and sat off to the side watching her carefully.  
  
"I'll be fine on my own Selina." Minerva muttered into her mug.  
  
"Sorry Minerva, but Dumbledore has ordered be to make sure you are not left on your own." Selina nervously smiled.  
  
"If she hasn't come for me in the last hour I doubt she's going to come at all." A moment's silence passed between them. "So I'm under, what the muggles call, house arrest?" Minerva asked, still entranced by the fire. Selina nodded slowly.  
  
"No, it's just, After what happened downstairs, he doesn't want you or Trelawney to be alone. Just incase. well, you know."  
  
"I understand." Minerva nodded and sipped her hot chocolate. "This is good hot chocolate."  
  
"Thankyou, Malachi taught me how to make it so that it just has that little bit extra."  
  
"Really?" Minerva had this sudden feeling that Malachi had taught Selina to make some kind of drink just for her that would probably kill her. "How is Malachi these days?"  
  
"Well, I haven't heard from him lately, but he married Lourdes Mundane and they had three daughters. And he's working in Transylvania, helping to keep the deaths of muggles down to a minimum."  
  
"Yes, I heard there was a bit of a problem over there with Count Vladiminkov not standing by the rules of at least two a year." Minerva shrugged. "Those vampires bite into more then they can chew sometimes." Selina laughed.  
  
"Well, there's a comical way to view it." Just at that moment there was a knock at the door. Both women went silent. Minerva motioned for Selina to go ahead and perform her guarding duties. "Who is it?" Selina called.  
  
"It's Albus, Selina." Came the reply and Selina shot to her feet and opened the door slightly.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore." Selina fully opened the door and allowed him to enter. "If you don't mind sir I guess I should be leaving now, I have urgent business to attend to." She quickly said her good-byes and hurried out the door.  
  
"I wonder where she's headed in such a hurry." Albus thought out loud as he closed the door and sat down in a chair facing Minerva.  
  
"Let's just say, we're not the only professor's keeping a secret." Minerva smiled devilishly. "I know who it is and I'm not going to tell you."  
  
"Now Minerva, dear, we both know that I have ways of making you talk." Minerva lifted an eyebrow. "But that's not what we must discuss tonight." Minerva's smile faded and she looked down into the empty mug in her hands.  
  
"I'm sorry Albus, I shouldn't have started the duel down there." A tear slid down her cheek. "Harriett could die and it's all my fault. I'm the dumbest witch that ever lived. Sibyll was right." There was a soft pause as Minerva's eyes flooded with tears, "And William was right. I'm dumb, I'm dumb, I'm dumb." Minerva doubled over and cried into the arm of the chair, banging her fist against it.  
  
"No Minerva. Sibyll said that because she was angry. You know that the whole thing with James hit home with her because of her condition. And you know what William was like. He was the one failing at everything, but he didn't want to blame himself." Albus had moved across the room and sat down on Minerva's armchair. "You're the smartest woman I've ever met Min. All the students think you're 'bloody brilliant' as I believe Mr Weasley once said." Minerva let slip a little laugh as Albus pulled her over to him and held her close. "Minerva, look me."  
  
"Yes Albus?" She said as he tilted her face up to look at his.  
  
"You do realise the whole school now knows what happened to you, don't you?" Minerva nodded. "And you will have to tell Harry soon." Minerva nodded again.  
  
"They don't know the full story though." Minerva sniffed.  
  
"Well I guess you can leave that to tell Harry and then give it about a week and the whole school should know." Albus chuckled. Minerva sat up suddenly.  
  
"What will I do though Albus?" She realised she had lost the old man and started again. "You have that charm working so that he has to go back to the Dursley's every summer. What if he wants to stay with me?" There was silence. "Which I'm sure would be the first thing he thinks of." She added quickly.  
  
"We'll find a way Minerva, I promise." There was a sharp knock at the door. Albus got up and opened it to find Madame Pomfrey standing their slightly out of breath.  
  
"Albus, we need you in the tower quickly. Sibyll had an extra sherry bottle hidden away and she's sculled half of it already." Albus rolled his twinkling blue eyes.  
  
"Excuse me Minerva. I do hope you will stay put as a precaution while I deal with this." With that he was gone, leaving Minerva alone to think. 


	10. Ch9: Minerva's Midnight Nerves

The night before Harry's birthday Minerva lay awake in bed creating a strategy. She had already worked out that she wanted to see Harry on his birthday and this time actually speak to him instead of watching from afar.  
  
"Min, if you don't go to sleep you'll be too tired to see Harry tomorrow." Albus mumbled into his pillow.  
  
"I can't go to sleep, Albus. I'm to nervous." Albus grabbed his wand off the dresser rolled over and tapped Minerva on the shoulder. She immediately fell asleep.  
  
"Well, that worked." Albus smiled. He didn't know how he was going to cope living with Minerva McGonagall. He had possibly chosen the worst time to marry her. He made a quick mental note to warn Harry not to marry a woman when they're in a family crisis, then he fell asleep. 


End file.
